Moments in Magenta: An Album Featuring the Native American style flute

The Native American flute is a magical instrument. It is said that once a part of your life, it will lead you on a journey – a journey of the unexpected. It is an instrument of self-discovery, taking the player to places that reside in the deep subconscious.

Fledgling flautists will delight in playing arpeggios and riffs full of embellishments and notes. But as the newness of the instrument wears off, a personal style may emerge – a style that reflects echoes of the player’s memories, visions and emotions.

For me there was a breakthrough in style. I became aware that often the silences between the notes had just as much (if not more) content than the musical notes that I was playing. In fact, the silences seemed to define the notes. So I began to embrace the silences. I also began to appreciate the sounds that the flute and flautist make together as the melodies take shape. So I made no attempt to edit or diminish the sounds of my breath, the tap of the fingers as they cover flute holes or the squeaks that the instrument makes from time-to-time.

On these recordings, you will experience the flute without accompaniment. Listen to the silences and the sounds that occur adjacent to the notes as part of the musical experience. I hope you enjoy these melodies played on the Native American style flute as much as I did making them.